TaxiPoint May 2022 Edition 37 by TaxiPoint

The UK’s #1 Taxi News Source Over 3.5

Edition 37 | MAY 2022

million magazine reads and counting... Image credit: LEVC

TIME TO SPECIALISE? PEDICABS REGULATED ELECTRIC REVOLUTION FREEING UP ROAD SPACE AND MUCH MORE... MAY 2022 - Edition 37

MAY 2022 - Edition 37

EDITORIAL

TaxiPoint Chief Editor: Perry Richardson TaxiPoint Editor: Michael Murphy TaxiPoint Publishing & Advertising Manager: Lindsey Richardson Visit us online at: www.taxi-point.co.uk We hope you’ve had a good month since our last edition and you enjoy our latest offering to the taxi trade. TaxiPoint was founded not that long ago back in the Summer of 2017 and has emerged as the industry’s most read news source just a few years on thanks to our unique focus on digital media, industry community engagement and vast networks ranging from Government Ministers to grass root drivers.

As a result of mainstream coverage and news aggregator placements TaxiPoint is receiving amazing opportunities to attend press interviews, media calls and more. Interestingly the offers not only relate to taxis, but also wider associated topics like electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles and mobility. Just recently we were asked to attend and report on an event that included Elon Musk, and many more of the world’s leading EV motoring CEOs. TaxiPoint is already a world leader within the industry, but there is so much more we can do. By supporting our work and ultimately your news journal, the industry can have representation at events they’ve never had in the past and pose the questions that need asking.

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We want our work and content to remain open to EVERYONE. An informed industry is a stronger industry. If you can however support our work with a small subscription fee of £2 per month it would go a long way to help us attend more events, ask more questions and report on more of what matters to you. Be lucky,

Perry Richardson MAY 2022 - Edition 37

MAY 2022 - Edition 37

LICENSING

After a long wait and much lobbying, the Government recently opened up a 12-week consultation to update vital Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) guidance supplied to local authorities to better cope with new digital ways of working following the boom in ride-hailing services. A raft of new recommendations have been made, covering pretty much every hot topic impacting the taxi and PHV sector right now, ranging from enhanced driving standard requirements to better signage on taxis.

What’s caught the attention of the industry? Right now, both the taxi and PHV sectors are formulating their responses to the DfT. There has however been some inklings as to what will be intensely discussed and potentially become the biggest changes as a result of the review.

Steve Wright, Licensed Private Hire Car Association (LPHCA) The Department for Transport (DfT) first issued best Chairman, said in Private Hire News: “This best practice guidance to licensing authorities in 2006 practice consultation is an and this was refreshed in 2010. It has now been opportunity to re-set some recognised that much has changed in the taxi and of the poorer policies with STEVE WRIGHT PHV industry since then and the time has come to update the guidance to ensure it reflects new ways the many better policies that are out there which actually work for the trade, of working, new technology and feedback from the licensing authority and most importantly, the interested parties. travelling public. The consultation will run for 12 weeks from 28 “We are pleased that the questionable policies March until 23.45pm on 20 June 2022. some have adopted on tinted windows, age limits, signage, inappropriate testing and training can now

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LICENSING be evaluated by government via this consultation.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton said within the foreword “With the industry in crisis following the pandemic, to the open consultation: “The biggest change is the ease with which passengers are able to engage considerable air quality requirements and services – using an app on a mobile phone, for catastrophic driver shortages, regulation needs to be fit for purpose. Training and testing also needs to example, was something unimaginable in 2010. be appropriate, as does some of the unacceptable “The increase in services has fuelled increases in the penalty points systems, which go way beyond number of drivers in the sector, making a sensible safety needs.” fundamental change to the way the industry works and how these services are delivered. Hackney Carriage representatives will most likely focus heavily on the vehicle licensing points around the identification of both taxis and PHV and the usage of tinted windows.

“A further challenge is the transition to zero emission vehicles to mitigate the impact of travel on air quality and climate change.

Driver proficiency and training will also be scrutinised and seen as an opportunity to bring in enhanced driving tests, disability awareness training and more.

“Licensing authority policies should reflect the lead and assistance that government is providing in these areas. It is important they provide the certainty the sector needs so that it is able to plan ahead and invest.

What are the Government looking to achieve? Whilst the DfT want to hear from stakeholders within the English taxi and PHV industry to formulate all aspects of latest Best Practice, the Government has its eyes on two key areas engagement of services and Zero Emission Capable (ZEC) fleets.

“Zero emission vehicles have far fewer moving parts than their petrol and diesel counterparts. They are easier and cheaper to maintain, and far more efficient to run. “While these benefits will be attractive for the private car owner, they could be transformative for the taxi and private hire vehicle industry.”

“The biggest change is the ease with which passengers are able to engage services – using an app on a mobile phone, for example, was something unimaginable in 2010.” Baroness Vere of Norbiton 6

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NEW REGS

The Government look set to bring in new laws to crack down on unlicensed rickshaws in central London.

The legislation will likely force pedicab operators to obtain a heavily regulated licence.

Despite a Private Member’s Bill failing, the Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, announced that a Government sponsored Rickshaw Bill will instead feature in the Queen’s Speech for the next session of Parliament. A longstanding loophole which governs taxis and private hire vehicles allows pedicabs to operate without licences. In the capital, Westminster City Council used antinuisance laws to prosecute rickshaw drivers. The rickshaws, often seen with flashing disco lights and sounding out loud music, are regularly in the West End targeting tourists, shoppers and theatre-goers.

What do the taxi trade think and what involvement have they had in this change?

“Rickshaws are one of the banes of London life, not just for cab drivers but just about everyone other Three rickshaw operators were recently handed fines than the rickshaw barons who rent out these deathworth more than £1,200 for playing excessively loud traps, invariably to foreign students, and definitely for music late at night after a joint operation involving extortionate amounts,” said Licensed Taxi Drivers’ the council and the Met Police. Association (LTDA) General Secretary Steve McNamara. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "We will be introducing in this next session a law to control what I The LTDA first got involved in a campaign against think is the wild west of pedicabs or rickshaw, pedicabs following several incidents of damage particularly in London where there isn't legislation caused to members’ cabs by rickshaws. As the which accurately enables any type of proper licensing problems increased so did their involvement. or control." The taxi representatives successfully managed to turn the position of both Ken Livingstone and Boris

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NEW REGS Johnson from that of initially supporting rickshaws, to that of calling for legislation to control them.

Cities of London and Westminster, brings rickshaws onto the parliamentary agenda with a Private Steve McNamara said: “We bought a rickshaw and had Member’s Bill to license rickshaws. it inspected and crash tested at the Transport Research “At this point we had to decide, do we support her bill, Laboratory, the subsequent report and videos helping or do we hold out for the outright ban we have wanted to convince Westminster Council and various trading for the past 25 years, realistically knowing we are and resident associations into supporting our campaign unlikely ever to be successful.” to get rickshaws banned. New regulations placed on pedicabs are likely to “Our various promotional videos, billboard and newspaper adverts all gained support from road safety and pedestrian groups but our supporters in Parliament were unable to convince a Conservative government, with a free-market agenda, to legislate to ban rickshaws. We even attempted a private prosecution against several riders for plying for hire, only for a judge to decide that they were stage carriages because they charged individual fares.

require DBS checks on riders. There could also be new operator licensing for the rickshaw rental firms, with a ban on sound systems and electrical assistance. Specific safety standards placed on the pedicabs would also be introduced and most interestingly set fares are likely to push people away from working pedicabs.

McNamara added: “Rickshaws do very few rides, paying £75 a day to rent a rickshaw necessitates them charging ludicrous prices to the few passengers they “Fast forward 20 years and Nickie Aitken, the former get, a fixed fare will stop the rip offs and, to many, the leader of Westminster Council, and now the MP for the only incentive. We agreed to support the bill.”

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FEATURE

All taxi drivers are looking for efficiency in the way Corporate account contracts they work. Whether it be keeping costs down or looking for ways to increase their revenue throughout There are two ways you can look for and serve these contracts; via an operator who tenders for the their working shifts. contracts or tender the contracts yourself. Whilst the bread-and-butter purpose of a Hackney Carriage taxi is to take the public from A to B, there are Businesses big and small use taxis for a whole raft of other opportunities that can supplement earnings too. different reasons; safe night-time travelling for employees finishing late or transport to meetings or Depending on where you are licensed and the number airports when required are just some. of cabbies already looking to exploit potentially The contracts usually guarantee regular work, but they moneymaking niches in the region, adding another are fiercely fought for and can sometimes mean string to your bow could be worth exploring. offering some sort of reduced price to clinch the deal. Airport and other long journey specialist Drivers and operators must weigh up the benefits of regular work against revenue often less than the All Hackney Carriage drivers can offer a pre-booked meter. service if they wish. Some drivers set up their own website and advertise their services for more lucrative airport work at a price that suits them.

School contracts

Across the UK thousands of taxi drivers are contracted Targeting popular destinations like airports, ferry ports to take children to and from school during term-times. and tourist attractions further afield can be a great Wiltshire Council recently put out a plea calling for way of maximising income. more licensed taxi drivers in the area to consider vital

MAY 2022 - Edition 37 Image credit: LEVC

FEATURE special education contracts worth over £250 a day which remain unfulfilled. Taxis are seen as an essential part of the transport network throughout the UK, providing a valuable service to the local community. Given the well reported shortage of taxi drivers, this niche market which guarantees daily fares could be the answer where you work.

Hospital and health care contracts The coronavirus pandemic saw taxis utilised as a safer means of transport and as funding across the NHS remains tight the reliance on taxis remains.

Approximately £460million is spent on Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) delivering 11-12 million patient journeys each year.

Social care transport Social care budgets remain a hot topic across the UK, but helping people pay for vital transportation needs like taxis remain a necessity for many. Local authorities in your region will all tender contracts looking for taxi drivers and operators to fulfil regular journeys helping those with mobility or disability needs.

The London Taxicard scheme is a perfect example of a Taxis in Scotland are currently being used to transport wide-scale subsidised service which offers door to patients in non-threatening conditions to hospitals in a door journeys in licensed taxis and private hire bid to ease NHS Scotland’s ambulance crisis. vehicles for London residents who have serious mobility or visual impairments. It is funded by the In rural areas of the UK the use of taxis to transport London boroughs and TfL, and managed by London people to and from GP surgeries and health centres Councils on their behalf. could provide a significant amount of steady income whilst also helping out the community you reside in.

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FEATURE In smaller cities and regions drivers should contact their local authorities and care homes to see whether there is a demand for their services.

vehicle that fits the bill for weddings, and you are prepared to offer an ultra-professional service on the day, you could be quid’s in.

Attending wedding venues and wedding fairs to strike up partnerships with established wedding businesses Very few people know a city better than a taxi driver in is a great way to get your business moving in the right the region so why not use that skill to maximise your direction quickly. earnings? There are of course LOADS more niches and most Dependant on the level of service offered some taxi importantly demand for other services that can be drivers can command up to £300 for a three-hour tour pounced on by entrepreneurial cabbies. Find the right of London. With the right marketing and tour guide market and it could be both fun and lucrative. training this can quickly become a viable and lucrative addition to the bread-and-butter taxi work.

Tour guide offerings

Wedding car services The wedding event market can be VERY lucrative. Again, the right level of marketing is required to advertise your services, but if you have a unique

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VEHICLE

LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company) recently announced a significant milestone in the UK as the 5,000th TX taxi was sold in London and the electric revolution gathers pace in the capital. Since taking to the streets, the 5,000 cabs have travelled a combined distance of approximately 307 million miles, which equates to circumnavigating the globe 12,333 times. To date, more than 2 million passenger journeys have been taken in the electric TX taxi in London. Gett also recently announced that

they now have more than 3,000 electric black taxis available to book in the UK. The milestone means over a third of the total taxi fleet in the capital is made up by the TX. Since the change in vehicle licensing in 2018, which only allows Zero Emission Capable (ZEC) taxis to enter the industry, just one other vehicle has joined the ranks; the Nissan Dynamo. Joerg Hofmann, CEO of LEVC, said: “Drawing on more than a century of industry experience, combined with state-of-the-art technology, LEVC successfully developed the world’s most advanced taxi: the electric TX. Our 5,000th sale in London is a major landmark for the business and we’re proud that our TX is making a significant contribution to improving urban air quality, as well as supporting drivers in the transition to sustainable mobility.”

Image credit: MAY 2022 - Edition 37LEVC

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VEHICLE Despite the positive number of cabbies making the move to greener taxis, one taxi representative says an ‘elephant in the room’ remains, that being the lack of new vehicle choice available to drivers. The London Cab Drivers Club (LCDC) say that the lack of vehicle choice has created a ‘monopoly’ within the trade which is something they say needs changing after initial promises made to the London taxi industry. Grant Davis, LCDC Chairman, said in The Badge: “There is much talk of work levels picking up, which is great news and hopefully it will remain so. But, beneath the good news of work levels, there is an ‘elephant in the room’ that needs addressing if the trade has any longevity and that is the monopoly of vehicles that we have to endure. Now I like the TXE, it looks nice, I’m told it drives lovely and importantly, the public love it too… so what’s the problem? Image credit: LEVC

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VEHICLE “This all stems from having a Regulator that doesn’t know ‘our’ business. During the ULEZ meetings, we were promised 5 taxis… we have one. We was also promised ‘so many charge points, you would fall over them’. “Neither have materialised and as the LCDC stated more than once to TfL, ‘you can’t make policy on promises’. But they did and did not care about the repercussions for the cab trade as it was all to fulfil the Mayor’s green credentials. We should have been allowed to carry on buying diesel E6 taxis until 2020 and in that time TfL should have increased chargepoint numbers, instead they put the ‘cart before the horse’.”

being sourced with a view to re-enter the taxi industry market as soon as possible. According to sources close to the matter, Dynamo Motors have no intention of exiting the sector and wish to build on the success of its initial Nissan Dynamo taxi model. One other potential electric solution for cabbies nearing entry into the market includes Clipper Automotive. The tech start-up firm that specialises in electric vehicle (EV) taxi conversions are currently talking to a number of licensing authorities as plans to rent out their converted TX4s edge nearer.

Once licensed, the black cabs will be rented out to drivers on a price match policy, based on the current The all-electric Nissan Dynamo black cab will sadly no price to rent out diesel taxis in the region. Taxi drivers longer be produced as Nissan cease production of the could be driving an electric taxi for as little as £230 e-NV200 Evalia van. per week. Dynamo Motors have however moved quickly to assure the taxi industry that a new manufacturer is

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INTERVIEW

& iCabbi is going where no other dispatch provider has gone before… into direct partnership with its customers. The Taxi Alliance is a unique business model designed to bring security to the taxi and private hire industry in the UK and Ireland, and unite fleets to work together for the GAVAN WALSH benefit of the trade. The Taxi Alliance came into effect on 31 March with over 200 companies, representing upwards of 35,000 cars as members. This makes it the largest taxi alliance in the world. We caught up with Gavan Walsh, CEO of iCabbi, to find out more.

Q: What’s the purpose of the Alliance? The aim of the Taxi Alliance is to help fleets unite as a national movement to defend and grow their businesses. The Taxi Alliance: •

•

Facilitates market specific product R&D in collaboration with taxi fleets, so taxi companies get a say in the product they need to succeed

•

Enables the development of a national taxi brand that allows taxi companies to thrive locally while taking part in a brand that passengers, drivers, businesses, and government organizations all over the UK & Ireland will recognise and use

•

Use the power of numbers to develop new commercial opportunities for fleets

•

Facilitate the sharing of knowledge/best practices between fleets.

Q: Outside of these collective goals and benefits for fleets, what do they get on an individual basis? Yes, being a member means being a part of this collective movement to unite the industry and work together to grow opportunities for the taxi industry. Specifically, members also get:

• Provides security to iCabbi customers that the software that is vital to the operation, growth and • success of their businesses will continue to be • developed in their best interest •

Opportunity to own a stake by buying shares Voting rights Best pricing Digital marketing support to help grow their businesses.

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INTERVIEW Q: It’s a significant change in how you Q: What’s different about the day-todo business and in the traditional day then once the Taxi Alliance comes relationship between tech provider and into effect? Will the price change? customer. What spurred the decision to Yes, and it has to. We’re moving to a transparent pricing model. It’s about fairness – everyone should create the Taxi Alliance? The short answer is that our customers want security, or need it even, in order to continue planning for the future success of their companies. We devised the Taxi Alliance to give customers security that their technology won’t be sold out to a competitor as has happened in the Autocab-Uber case. Autocab, which should have been acting in the interest of its customers, has instead allowed Uber to access markets within the UK that it hitherto has been prevented to enter by local regulators. Autocab has attempted to frame this as a good news story, lauding a strategic move that brings more bookings to their customers. In reality, it’s a Trojan horse, and most people can see through it. They sold out their customers. Given this background, it’s understandable that all fleets are now nervous that their tech provider may also go this way and stitch them up. They’re vulnerable. We want to be a true partner to the industry and so we’ve created an entity that facilitates true partnership and gives customers the confidence and strength to continue asserting their market position and to grow and expand into new areas. Did I say short answer…?

be asked to pay the same in return for the same technology and service. And it’s about value – and by value I mean delivering a valuable offering, not ‘value’ in the ‘bargain basement’ sense. We need to maintain quality, and invest in delivering innovation to the market, so it is important that the product is priced reasonably to ensure we all stay in business! For some customers the Taxi Alliance pricing will actually be a reduction in what they pay, for the majority it is costneutral and for others it is a marginal increase. But for everyone it is fair. Our goal here is to be sustainable. We have the best interest of our fleets and the industry in mind. Our customers get the best software on the market and a partner that they can trust and who is truly committed to the market. They get value.

Q: Is the Taxi Alliance just for existing iCabbi customers or can anyone join? Any taxi fleet in the UK or Ireland that switches to the iCabbi platform will be offered the same terms as current customers. They can be a member of the Alliance or they can be a customer. We’ve had lots of inquiries from fleets recently about this. Some want to switch because they can see that the iCabbi tech stack is the best offering on the market and that we have begun innovating and releasing new products once more. For others, they want to switch because of the Taxi Alliance itself, the sentiment behind it, and what it means for the future of the sector.

Q: You mentioned new product releases there… What have you brought out? The entire iCabbi platform is being revamped right now. We brought in new product leadership mid-last

Image credit: iCabbi

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INTERVIEW year and the impact is now very, very visible. People are now seeing regular new releases. The cumulative impact will be a vastly improved product suite by the end of 2022.

enhancements to improve usability recently. I love checking out the ratings on the stores and they’ve climbed recently and are consistently good which is definitely testament to the work. There’s a really We’ve finally – I know this took a long time, brought talented team on the app and they’ve got lots in their out our new Driver App on Android and IOS is coming pipeline. We’re also investing in developing Dispatch. iCabbi is hands down the most powerful dispatch soon. Fleets are crying out for more drivers and this engine out there. The complexity however is a bit of a app is very stylish and easy to use and the new dev double-edged sword in terms of what it means for framework means we can deliver new features in quick succession, which is a problem we had with the future R&D, so the team are now streamlining the product to enhance scalability and – the bit fleets will old architecture. Our VoicePlus+ has been a love - working on new features around optimisation phenomenal success with customers. It brings me and driver positioning. There is a real sense of momentum building in-house and customers have already seen some delivery but will see plenty more in the coming months. Part of the value of the Taxi Alliance is that it facilitates market-specific product R&D. The Product Council will help to steer the roadmap, making sure the right features are prioritised and that we continue to drive the frontier of taxi innovation.

Q: What will make or break the Taxi Alliance? Members participation. The bigger the Alliance is, the better the outcome for every individual company within it, and it’s not just about joining but really embracing the Alliance and contributing to it. People back to the early days of iCabbi where we saw this actively engaged in making it a success is what will instant impact of our tech on customers’ businesses. make it a success. The Taxi Alliance allows us to take It basically is intelligent voice recognition that allows a control. Gone are the days when one local taxi firm passenger to provide a new pick up or destination competed against another. We have a global with voice input. Before it was just a keypress for competitor now and we all need to unite and work choosing 1-2-3 Historic bookings but now they can together in order to ensure the survival of this deepspeak new destinations which means those calls are rooted industry. I’m confident that the taxi industry no longer being redirected into the call centres. We’re has a bright future if we forge a path together – but seeing overnight leaps in automation by about 20% everyone needs to play their part. which has the knock-on effect of dramatically reducing wage bills… So yeah, customers love it and we are all buzzing about it. Our passenger app is doing really well too. It looks brilliant which is important for consumers and it has a number of

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INSIGHT

ARTICLE BY: MANAGING DIRECTOR, UNIFIED TRANSPORT SYSTEMS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED IN JOURNAL OF LICENSING By the end of March 2020, as the country endured the first lockdown of the coronavirus pandemic, one small but significant positive emerged from the darkness. From across the country came stories of people experiencing uncommon sounds as towns and cities fell otherwise silent. As the din and roar of road traffic evaporated, birdsong could again be heard in our urban spaces.

the birds were once again lost to the cacophony that is modern urban living. Of course, this is just one small element of a complex picture. For many reasons (earning money to pay the bills being a very important one among them) people had to get back out to go to work, make calls, see friends and all of the other things denied to us as a result of the public health emergency. The figures show they chose to do so in privately owned cars.

The roads are full up I doubt there is anyone working in transport planning today who disagrees with the notion that we need to seriously - and permanently reduce the number of vehicles on our roads.

I am someone who has spent much of my working life driving (often long distance), and, Statistics from that period show that transport to an extent, enjoying my driving; yet even I use fell significantly (as would be expected) think the idea of allowing millions of metal and by early April use of cars, light goods boxes to be parked on roads outside of our vehicles and heavy goods vehicles had fallen to houses is increasingly indefensible. 27% of usual levels. The only mode of transport to see an increase was cycling (again, For those who live in urban areas, the notion of private vehicle ownership by the masses is to be expected) and for a brief period, as Steven Lovatt said in the Guardian, "The Earth generally speaking - an odd concept (and a fairly new and short-lived one in terms of could hear itself think". human history). That said, as things stand, the Alas, by the end of August 2020 road use was cold reality is millions do need these vehicles back to pre-pandemic levels, and the songs of for all sorts of vital reasons.

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INSIGHT For many residents, local transport networks are simply not as convenient as owning a private car; even though, in many cases, this huge investment may spend days parked up going nowhere. We know that many residents are not well served by the local alternative options. We also know there are some examples where residents are well served and still choose to drive (because driving in those places is also easy). It is certainly the case that many will continue to drive even when it is not that easy; it's hard to give up a roof, windows, and a decent heater.

There are over 340,000 taxi and private-hire drivers in England and Wales. There are hundreds of thousands more independent couriers. These vehicle types, and their drivers, provide invaluable services to people living in our communities. We know this. In fact, we saw this very clearly over the past two years where food and goods delivery services played a vital role in keeping the country safe. Preventing access for these services through a blanket ban on cars and vans driving in some areas does not help to build a safer, healthier community, and, importantly, it will not encourage people to give up their private cars.

Clearly, to encourage a switch to other forms of transport, we need to restrict access (or more accurately, the terms of access) to cars and vans The city of the future in some places. However, we cannot, and must not, do this at the expense of equality of I often do a thought experiment with attendees opportunity and safety; that is not progress - that on our courses; I ask whether, if they were tasked is half-measures for an easy life. with building a town from scratch, would they allow private cars and vans to drive everywhere, "But we are already doing some of as they are mostly allowed to do now.

this!"

The general consensus is no. Why would you?

Yes, we have already restricted access in some I agree. But what about taxis, minicabs, and places. Meanwhile, conflict over use of road space delivery vans? grows daily. Well, it probably won't be a surprise to hear that Instead of measured and logical development, we the view changes. These vehicles should be have hastily conceived schemes designed to force allowed. But how exactly? And what type of the issue and different user groups blaming one vehicles? And how do we reconcile this view with another for the mess we are all in. the need to make our streets safer for everyone? As a general theory of how to build a service or We will make our streets safer for everyone by product, the "if you build it they will come" reducing the number of private vehicles on the approach (a misquote that has long been roads. debunked anyway) seems to be applied a lot in transport planning these days. Cycle lanes, cycle Taxis, minicabs, and delivery vans can play an hire schemes, car-hire scheme, mobility hubs, bus important part in reducing private vehicle ownership. To achieve this, these vehicles should gates, low-traffic networks - all of these are, in be allowed carefully controlled and safe-speed themselves, good ideas. access to areas otherwise blocked to regular car But they cannot work by simply pretending that and van traffic. These vehicle types provide the biggest cohort of small-to medium-sized invaluable services to people living in the transport providers and SMEs in the country don't community. Restricting access does not serve exist, or, more importantly perhaps, that the everyone equally and means residents choose to services offered by these businesses are not use private cars for some journeys because it is essential to many. MAY 2022 - Edition 37 more convenient.

INSIGHT As far as possible, we have to match this convenience on our public transport networks. But if you allow this access, wouldn't there be too many vehicles in some places? This is the counter argument isn't it? Too many vehicles in some places. No control. Dangerous. Where we are at this moment, I have to say I agree. I could make a good argument for some of the very best professional drivers I know having access to some restricted areas, but you cannot allow general access now. Not when public roads are close to breaking point and standards of driving among transport drivers so variable. But with a bit of simple planning, some thought, and some effort, there is absolutely no reason this way of doing things cannot work to the benefit of everyone.

A new type of driver What is a taxi driver? What is a bus driver? What is a parcel delivery driver? What is a food delivery driver? Many people, including those who work in the industries listed, may see these as distinct roles. A taxi driver carries people, not parcels. Granted they may occasionally do the odd courier job but in general, that's not how they make money. Many minicab drivers switched to food delivery in the recent pandemic. Some will stick with that and others will go back to carrying people as soon as possible. A courier with a van cannot carry people.

There are, of course, some licensing reasons behind some of these distinctions but, these aside, the distinctions are mostly arbitrary. The one thing all of those working in these industries have in common is that they are (or at least, should be) professional drivers. And using those professional driving skills, they are delivering essential services. A truth never more evident than over the past two years. The idea that, with bicycles and walking (and possibly the odd bus), we will do away with the

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demand for smaller private transport options is illogical. Around 1.65 million new vehicles were registered in the UK in 2021. This is very marginally higher than 2020, but still significantly down on prepandemic numbers. Interestingly though, registrations by private buyers increased by 7.4% showing that people still think buying a car (and a new car at that!) is the best option. The roads do not need more cars and vans but they will always need some vehicle type, larger than a cargo bike (and sometimes with a roof and a heater), that provides the capability for delivery services. And to go with this vehicle type a driver who is multi-skilled and can operate safely in all situations. If we do not support these services when planning our transport networks, private car ownership will not fall in the way we need it to.

How can we create the best small vehicle transport network of the future? Transporting people or goods in small- to medium -sized vehicles is an important job. It is often a critical job. Much has been made of how these essential frontline workers must be better supported in the future but without any useful examples provided of how this can be achieved. How do we incorporate these vehicle types in a safe and fair system?

How do we ensure a fair price for use of these services that protects the local community, supports economic sustainability, and makes the best use of a finite road network?

1. Learning Education is essential if we are to create this new type of service. You would expect the MD of a training company to say this. But I hope we all agree that the skills now required (high driving standards; disability and equality awareness;

INSIGHT excellent customer service; safeguarding of children and adults at risk; first aid; data compliance; and infection control) are not lowlevel skills. In order to do the type of work our communities need (home to school transport, non-emergency patient transport, and social care transport) and to look after our residents (dementia-friendly towns, special access to low traffic neighbourhoods, access to shops to support our town centres as places of community), drivers must be suitably skilled. Additionally, we must encourage a new understanding among existing drivers, and those looking to become drivers, that the types of transport services listed above are not mutually exclusive.

HGV driving but again, we only have to look at very recent events to see how important such skills are. And yet some of the comments about HGV drivers I read during recent issues clearly show that there is much misunderstanding (and ignorance) over what this difficult, stressful, yet essential job entails.

3. Accepting that we need some small- and medium-sized delivery vehicles Yes, bikes can make deliveries. They can be efficient and they are clean. Even so, we will still need other passenger and cargo vehicles.

4. Accepting that humans are good at this stuff

Drivers should be able to deliver all of these services from one single flexible platform. Drivers should have total choice, scheduling their day to take advantage of all options the market has to offer.

Lastly, we must accept and understand that even with the advent of driverless cars, humans are better at providing the services listed above; especially as we want (and need) multi-skilled operatives. Show me a robot car that can carry The efficiencies a platform like this would bring to the shopping for a customer, while also keeping our transport service would naturally reduce the an eye on customer safety, helping with a tricky seatbelt, and making sure the passenger has not number of vehicles on the road. People already do this, of course. Well, sometimes. A bit. But not forgotten anything in the vehicle. nearly enough to make any sort of difference. And A human being knows how to deal with this. A even those who do it may have two or possibly human being can take the time and help. A three strings to the bow. Why not multiple human being also asks how a person's day has strings? gone. What they've been up to recently. How the family are. Assistive technology in cars is fine, but 2. Increased understanding and replacing professional drivers with machines is respect - a fairer price inefficient and illogical when we consider all of the value-add a trained driver can offer to keep Those who achieve these skills deserve respect. They deserve to be able to use these skills to earn our communities healthy and safe. a fair wage. Very few professions expect a high level of skill to go unrewarded. In other professions, the more you are trained, the more you earn. Why are professional drivers treated differently?

Driving is not just moving stuff from A to B. Unified does not provide services with regards to

I'll come back to the issue of autonomous vehicles another time (they do fit in but not quite in the way they are being touted) but for now, with the technology unlikely to be deployed en-masse for quite a while yet and a range of essential jobs done (perfectly well, thanks!) by human beings, we should be focusing on what we need our

MAY 2022 - Edition 37

INSIGHT transport network to provide to our communities rather than how we can deploy the latest technology just because it looks interesting. I have a feeling that small-scale transport services (taxi and minicab services in particular) are overlooked for reform; this is likely because someone somewhere is convinced that they, or perhaps the human element of them, will just disappear at some point. If that person would like to give me a call l'd love to talk it through. Autonomous vehicles will have their place. What we certainly don't need is millions of privately owned autonomous EVs filling up our roads. What we do need are professional drivers delivering a range of services to support our communities.

Conclusion Matched with more efficient use of the right type of vehicle, professional drivers will leave the roads quieter and safer, allowing for more cycling and walking and, eventually, as efficiencies in local transport services increase, a genuine reduction in the use and ownership of private cars.

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FEATURE

ARTICLE BY:

Scrolling through Taxi Twitter, there’s plenty of doom and gloom about the state of the industry. Considering the range of issues affecting the economy at the moment, it is understandable. We’ve just come out of a global pandemic, fuel prices and the cost of living are skyrocketing, and, there’s a huge push towards sustainable vehicles.

The Knowledge of London is also showing the lowest level of applicants going through the process to become a London cabby. People unfamiliar with the industry might think that fewer drivers mean more business for those still working. While that is true in a sense, a lack of drivers also causes problems.

But is it really as bad as some would have us believe? Is the ‘game’ really dead?

People have an expectation of taxi services to be reliable, cheap and available as and Looking at recruitment figures, things do when they’re needed. But with fewer look that way. drivers on the road, customers can struggle to catch a cab. If hailing a cab or Driver Shortages booking a private hire becomes increasingly difficult, it’s only a matter of Across the country, taxi and private hire fleets are struggling to find enough drivers time before people start assessing the to service demand. Although large parts of other options. the economy have recovered from the Recruitment push pandemic, the taxi and private hire industry have suffered more than most. Operators across the UK are investing in Significant numbers of drivers have found their recruitment more than ever to try and ensure they can meet demand. But other work as delivery or HGV drivers. In it’s not just operators. Concerned about some cases have used the pandemic to the safety of women and girls, some retrain entirely. These individuals have licensing authorities are offering incentives little to no desire to come back to the to ensure there are functional taxi services industry. in their area.

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FEATURE London Taxi PR recently launched their largest recruitment campaign to try and encourage people to sign up for The Knowledge.

of looking at it, and I would never sort of force it upon anyone and say, “oh yeah, you gotta do it. It's the greatest thing in the world like it will The campaign covers billboards change your life it's the silver bullet and it's amazing.” around the capital with pictures of real drivers and the When you're on the knowledge tagline ‘I did it, so can you’, a because it's this far-flung goal, reference to the notorious you think, well, it's so so hard it difficulty of The Knowledge. must be worth it at the other end and for me, I can say Speaking to TaxiPoint, Andy Scott, London Taxi PR’s PR and categorically... Communications spokesperson, said:

From before, you know, doing my knowledge and also now coming out with a badge. I “Given the effect of the have a richer quality of life. I pandemic on the profession, have a much better quality of the drastic fall in student life. I have freedom, you know, numbers on The Knowledge, we’re able to do fun things like and with many people within the profession expressing their this. concerns about its future, it I earn more money. I've done was essential that we, (London certain opportunities I Taxi PR) did something, both definitely would not have been quickly and with maximum able to do in my circumstances impact and coverage.” beforehand, but that's just me. Other people that have come Is the game dead? from maybe a self-employed In the upcoming episode of our background, maybe labouring backgrounds. They might look What Time You on ‘Til? podcast, JP and Ryan asked this at the two and go well hold on a minute. question to licensed London cabby and Youtuber, Tom What I'm trying to get across in Hutley. Better known as Tom the YouTube is some of the the Taxi Driver, he has been a realities of the job. licensed cabby for nearly 5 Like one of my most recent years and was more than happy to share his opinion on ones I put up was quite a controversial title and I used whether the taxi game is the title that a lot of cabbies actually dead. Read his have said for years of like ‘oh is response below: the game dead’. “There's a lot of different ways

MAY 2022 - Edition 37

FEATURE And some people kind of misinterpreted it as me saying, like, oh, I want to get out the cab trade. And no, it's kind of just looking at all the things that are happening in the world right now. The vehicles that we have, to the increased cost of living and stuff and that these might affect how good the job is right now.

Taxis aren't ever going to be dead. People are always going to get around. It just means that how we operate will change.” And there you have it! If you want to see the full interview, you’ll be able to catch it next week on our socials and podcast. You can get up to date with the most recent episodes here.

You know it's no surprise that in years gone by that the job might have been better, but I think if you look at every sector of society there, everyone will always say, oh, it was so much better back in the day, always so much better. Everything has been carved up and cut up and there is more barriers to entry. I think like when I was in retail for instance. Uh, you know, my old boss said ‘oh in the 70s. If you had a shop it was like a licence to print money.’ You would just put a product on the shelf. People would come in and just take it. It just it wouldn't matter what it was. It would just sail whereas now ... it's all about online but... Go down your local High Street or go down you know Regent Street, Oxford St. There's still major retailers there.

Image credit: TOM HUTLEY

ARTICLE BY:

TaxiPlus help deliver online pre-licensing It's still there, but the game is of the game is evolving solutions. You can drop them an email to ever slightly, and I think it's the same with taxis. hello@taxiplus.co.uk to learn more.

MAY 2022 - Edition 37

MOTORING

As the cost-of-living crisis deepens, millions of motorists are now considering cancelling their breakdown insurance in a bid to cut back on everyday outgoings. Research commissioned by UK road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, has revealed that one in five of the 1,000 drivers surveyed are considering cancelling their vehicle’s breakdown cover. Worryingly, this figure means that millions of drivers across the nation could find themselves stranded by the roadside, without cover in the event of a vehicle fault or accident.

balance the books, and our findings reveal that breakdown cover could be one of the first expenses to be axed by drivers. “So, while we will always urge motorists to take out breakdown cover, those who are unable to afford it during such straitened times should carry out a series of regular vehicle checks themselves, which may prevent any avoidable breakdowns. These include ensuring engine oil is topped up, checking tyres daily, practising good driving habits and paying attention to warning lights and strange noises.

“As the adage goes, prevention is better than cure, Perhaps unsurprisingly, half of 18–24-year-olds so by following these simple steps motorists can surveyed stated that they have considered cancelling ensure they avoid spending money on unnecessary their cover, in stark contrast to just 14 per cent of 55 repairs, or time on the hard shoulder, waiting for a –64-year-olds and seven per cent of drivers over 65. recovery vehicle!” Answers also varied according to region, with nearly half of Londoners stating they are considering cancelling their cover, making them the most likely to cut costs. This compares to just one in ten of residents from the North East. Neil Greig, Director of Policy and Research at IAM RoadSmart, said: “Most fatalities on motorways involve a stationary vehicle, so having cover means you are more likely to be rescued quicker, reducing your chances of being hit on the hard shoulder or in a running lane. “Having said this, households up and down the country are being forced to cut back on everyday outgoings in an effort MAY 2022 - Edition 37 to

DRIVER STORY

Image credit: TERRY HARRIS

The following is a rather hashed out account of the first convoy to the Ukrainian border. It feels like something that should be documented. In a world where news is always questioned and discredited, I want to say what I have seen with my own eyes. We will be going again. I’m a taxi driver by trade, and you can usually find me anywhere in the 6-mile radius of Charring Cross. For this unforgettable trip though, I left the streets of London. Instead, I was travelling with other taxi drivers on a life changing convoy that drove all the way to Chelm, Poland; a border town roughly 20km from Ukraine. The trip was put together with lightning speed – I only found out 3 days before we left England that we were going.

It started on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Suddenly I was getting a COVID test near Heathrow. Then I was driving to Balham to link up with the White Eagle Club, who were waiting to load my taxi to the brim with humanitarian aid to be taken 2,500km to Eastern Poland. With the suspension worryingly low and not enough room for a crisp packet in the back I set off via the A13/M25/A12. Next thing I know I’m at the port of Harwich, and the sun was setting already. Here I met up with a convoy of taxi drivers I had never really met, parked up in a non-descript Morrisons car park. It was surreal. What followed was three days of the most intensive motorway driving I have ever attempted. We docked early morning in the

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DRIVER STORY Hook of Holland with about 5 hours of sleep behind us. Somehow, I ended up at the front, leading the convoy. Where was I going? Frantically I looked up a hotel address in Warsaw some 1,200km away whilst pulling off the boat, the strangeness of the entire situation compounded as I crept over to the righthand side of the road.

considering the time we arrived. I’m very thankful for it. We promptly went to bed.

At dawn the next morning we were up, fuelled by adrenaline and a tight schedule. We devoured a quick breakfast and left for our first stop, Lublin. An easier drive than the day before, we arrived quite fresh to a warehouse set aside for the distribution of Our mission had truly begun; a convoy of five electric aid. A team of global volunteers emptied the first taxis, one Vito taxi and a white van, each only visible part of our aid package from the cabs with practised through my side mirrors because my rear-view was efficiency and loaded up pallets ready for its final entirely blocked by a giant stack of nappies. destination – the churches in Ukraine sheltering those who had lost everything.

Image credit: TERRY HARRIS

The tragic circumstance that motivated each and every one of us to undertake the trip really hit me there, cruising along the European Highways with crystal blue skies ahead and a line of cabs behind, both reaching out for the horizon. It’s a memory I will Image credit: TERRY HARRIS keep forever. The support along the way was also something to behold. I could see the thought processes from discerning European motorists we passed, beginning with “What’s a black cab doing here?” to “Oh it’s a convoy”, then to realisation we were all loaded to the brim with humanitarian aid – and by the time they reached alongside my own cab the smiles, cheers and beeping of horns, the universal-language thumbs up, was all incredibly reassuring to what we were doing here so far away from our usual daily routines. Later, a friend of mine forwarded a Facebook status update they had seen. It was of a picture of my cab, on the autobahn, posted by a German enroute to Berlin. What a small world. Fourteen hours of motorway later we rolled into Warsaw, parked the cabs up, and went in to find bags of sandwiches and a bottle of beer each set aside for us. It was very thoughtful of the hotel,

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Speaking to those kind individuals was the first jaw dropping acknowledgement that this was real, not some bizarre dream or adventure. People were relying on this stuff! There were many handshakes, hugs and thanks, between us and the volunteers, and then we were off again. Our next destination? The town I mentioned earlier, Chelm. It was a short drive, about an hour away, and after five cabs had unloaded previously at Lublin, the remaining aid packages of medical supplies were still on-board.

Image credit: TERRY HARRIS

After a brief confusion we found the drop-off point and again it was all unloaded promptly and efficiently. Our aid mission was completed… but we weren’t finished just yet. In fact, it got quite serious. Our next stop was a defunct Tesco, now taken over by the Polish Army. It was a giant building, converted

DRIVER STORY to house people who had managed to escape the bombs and missiles that were still dropping just a short distance away across the border inside Ukraine.

We reached the German capital around 2am the next morning. None of us felt comfortable just leaving the Ukrainian people in a foreign city to fend for I will say nothing can really prepare you, growing up in themselves, so we put our heads together. We discussed giving up our planned hotel rooms, instead the safety of Western Europe, for the sight of rows giving them to the Ukrainian families. We could sleep and rows of temporary beds. The intense smell of in the cabs, or something. A few phone calls later we antiseptic. The curtained off sections that try to discovered that thanks to the generosity of the provide a bit of dignity to people taking shelter. Shelter is a real word here, and worthy of really being original fund and our sponsors, we were able to put understood. These were people who had lost almost them up in separate rooms in the same hotel so they could continue their journey the following morning – everything. after the safety of a hotel room and breakfast. With Through the difficulties of translation, we established this weight off our shoulders, we slept soundly. with the Polish Army that we were here to help take The next day, I found myself speechless. We’re usually people, safely, to wherever they needed to go. After a chatty bunch, taxi drivers, but not this day. What we document checks a few bedraggled families were brought out to us, their destination and therefore ours had seen, the vulnerability of people fleeing their homes and country, the real gravity and need of help – Berlin Station, some 800km away. that was there, had finally caught up with us. After We led the Ukrainian families to our cabs and got making sure the Ukrainian people we had convoyed them settled and loaded up their possessions with and were leaving here were in safe hands, we set off extra care. It wasn’t much, but it was all they had now. again. Thankfully we had a particularly easy drive It was all they had been able to carry. back; around 8 hours from Berlin to the Hook of Holland and then the overnight boat back to Harwich. We still had space for more people, and after more We reunited with the van driver from Dresden at the conversation with the Polish Army we were advised docks. Most of us went home here; we had dropped that whilst no further immediate transport Image credit: TERRY HARRIS was possible here, buses arriving from Kiev were unloading off aid, and successfully transported nearly thirty refugees. There was one Ukrainian family left though, as we spoke in another local location. Of course, we bound for the UK. Their cab driver, Richard Gough, left immediately to see if we could help. opted to stay in France with them while their visas Here, it was manic. There were vehicles and people were processed so they could legally enter the everywhere, moving in every direction. There were country. It took about a week before he was able to Army personnel loading and unloading out of military bring them to a place of safety, and to return home vehicles, right in the middle of refugees getting off himself. coaches after a 14-hour journey through a war-torn I have since learnt that the young girl in that family country. It’s something I can barely put into words. started school in the UK. The family I personally Three cabs including myself picked up women and brought back to Berlin have since emailed to say they children also heading for Berlin, the white transit are safe with relatives on Northern Germany. picking up a mum and a daughter to an address in Dresden, and another cab driver in his own car picked That’s my story – 2,500km from the up a family hoping to get all the way back to the UK. Hook of Holland to Chelm and It was 4pm. Earlier, we had started driving at the crack back, in 3 days – entwined with of dawn. Ahead of us we had at least a 10-hour drive many others. to Berlin. But this was why we had come. So, we got We’re going again. to it.

MAY 2022 - Edition 37 Image credit: TERRY HARRIS

UK NEWS

confirms whether a driver is registered for tax on their licensed taxi or private hire vehicle income. This check remains on course to be delivered in both Scotland and Northern Ireland for April 2023.

What is a ‘tax check’? A tax check confirms that you’re registered for tax, if necessary. It will ask questions about how you pay any tax that may be due on income you earn from your licensed trade. You must carry out the tax check yourself. You cannot ask a tax agent or adviser to do this on your behalf. After you complete the tax check you’ll be given a 9character code. This is your tax check code. You must give it to the licensing authority with your licence application — they will not be able to process your New taxi driver tax check rules remain on course to be application without it. introduced in Scotland and Northern Ireland from April Tax check codes expire after 120 days, so if you make a 2023. licence application for another licence after that time, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) recently introduced you’ll need to carry out a new tax check for it. the new tax check that must be completed when If you’re a partner making a licence application on people renew their licences to drive taxis, or drive and behalf of a partnership you must complete a tax check operate private hire vehicles, in England and Wales. for yourself. Your licensing authority will tell you if any The new check, which has been required since 4 April other partners also need to complete a tax check. 2022, does not include any calculations. It simply Your licensing authority will need your tax check code before they can consider your licence application.

MAY 2022 - Edition 37 Image credit: LEVC

UK TAXI NEWS

Ride-hail firm Uber has launched its brand new UK service, Uber Pet, which allows passengers to locate an Uber vehicle that their furry friend can ride in too. Following trials across Europe, Uber Pet will now appear as an option in the UK. The new service is being launched as an in-app offering allowing riders to select an additional surcharge that lets their pets join the ride.

Image credit: UBER

How Uber Pet works Uber Pet will be available from 26 April, as a separate product in the Uber app. At launch Uber Pet trips will attract a £3.20 surcharge in London and a £2 surcharge outside of the capital. If you’re travelling with a service animal, there's no need to select UberPet and you should continue to select your regular Uber option.

Image credit: LEVC

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UK TAXI NEWS

‘The supply of LPG remains sufficient to meet demand across the UK’, said a Government minister after rising concerns from the taxi industry over its availability. The Scottish Government are set to meet with taxi drivers and industry representatives to have showdown talks over the ongoing concerns relating to Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone (LEZ). With Low Emissions Zone rules coming into play next year, concerns have been urgently raised about the amount of taxis which could be left to actively operate in the city. Unite Union Glasgow Cab Section have stressed for several months that around 1,000 iconic taxi vehicles could be taken off the roads in one swoop if an additional extension to meet requirements isn’t implemented. Currently, out of the 1,420 taxis licensed by Glasgow City Council, around 1,000 do not meet the requirements set to come into play in just over a year.

MAY 2022 - Edition 37 Image credit: LEVC

It is widely accepted that LPG, which is a cooking fuel, helps reduce particulate matter by 99% and cut NOx by 80%. In 2019, there were 150,000 vehicles running on autogas in the UK, with more than 65 LPG refuelling stations inside the M25 area. Since then the infrastructure has reduced in size causing concern within the taxi industry. Chris Stephens MP asked the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he will make an assessment of any factors that may impact LPG supply in Scotland. The MP also asked whether steps will be put in place to work with all parties to ensure taxi drivers in Scotland have sufficient access to LPG fuel. Greg Hands, Minister for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, said: “The supply of LPG remains sufficient to meet demand across the UK. BEIS works closely with industry to monitor the LPG supply position throughout the year and proactively take steps to mitigate any risks that may affect distribution to customers and essential services.”

UK TAXI NEWS

A unique and free life-saving suicide intervention and prevention training is being offered to taxi drivers in Eastbourne and Seaford. The Taxi Watch programme, operated by the suicide prevention and awareness charity Talk To Tom, teaches professional drivers how to spot the signs of a person suffering through a suicide crisis, how to react, and how to get the person to safety. Leicester City Council has drawn up a fresh Taxi Strategy which sets out a series of improvements to standards within the local taxi trade, to be brought into effect between now and 2025. Some measures will be brought in straight away, while some longer-term improvements will be the subject of public consultations before they can be introduced.

The county council is one of the first local authorities in the country to offer local drivers this training, which is based on the charity’s hugely successful QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) programme. The training has been commissioned as part of the council’s broader suicide prevention strategy and is supported by Eastbourne Borough Council and Lewes District Council.

The aims include improving customer service, safety and ensuring the trade is well regulated and supported by the city council, as well as a commitment to increase the number of lowemission vehicles in service. The strategy will also look to tighten regulation around taxi drivers who are registered elsewhere but who operate within Leicester and will consider the introduction of CCTV within vehicles to improve the safety of both customers and drivers.

Image credit: LEVC

Image credit: EAST SUSSEX DISTRICT COUNCIL MAY 2022 - Edition 37

GLOBAL NEWS

Image credit: KIA

Car manufacturers Kia have revealed the Niro Plus, its first ‘purpose-built vehicle’ (PBV) ready-made for Korean taxi drivers. Kia has explored ways to help people and businesses move beyond traditional vehicles, and the company expects its PBV models to be an important part of future mobility options in both the taxi and ride-hail market.

have also contributed to the greater cabin space, with the Niro Plus taxi model featuring thinner seats and door trims compared to the original Niro EV. Additional passenger safety and convenience features including door reflectors and assist handles are also available in both the taxi and general versions.

An integrated All-inOne Display for taxi The Niro Plus taxi model is based on the first generation model greatly improves convenience and safety Niro EV – Kia’s popular electric crossover. Since its for the driver, by launch in 2018, the Niro EV has sold globally, demonstrating the growing public appetite for versatile removing the need for Image credit: KIA multiple devices and BEVs. screens. The display will include all information relevant Kia has made several enhancements to the first for taxi drivers to seamlessly go about their work, generation Niro to make the Niro Plus ready to meet including navigation, app taximeter, digital tachograph the robust demands of Korean taxi operators. Length and voice recognition. The system will also include data and height of Niro Plus taxi model have increased by 10 on relevant points of interest and locations of nearby EV mm and 80 mm respectively (compared to the first charging stations. Kia plans to partner with local and generation Niro without roof rack), to give occupants national businesses to offer over-the-air (OTA) updates more space inside the cabin. Slimmed-down structures and services.

MAY 2022 - Edition 37

Image credit: ComfortDelGro

GLOBAL NEWS

The Australian Competition and Consumers Commissions (ACCC) has instituted proceedings in the Federal Court against Uber B.V., which has admitted it engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct and made false or misleading representations in the Uber ridesharing app.

Most Uber services including the popular UberX have a five minute ‘free cancellation period’ after the driver has accepted the trip, in which an Uber user can cancel their ride without incurring a fee.

Between at least December 2017 and September 2021, the Uber ride-share app displayed a cancellation warning to consumers who sought to cancel a ride saying words to the effect of ‘you may be charged a small fee since your driver is already on their way’, even when consumers were seeking to cancel a ride within Uber’s free cancellation period.

Uber has admitted that it breached the Australian Consumer Law by making false or misleading statements in cancellation warning messages and Uber Taxi fare estimates, and has agreed to make joint submissions with the ACCC to the Court for penalties totalling $26 million to be imposed.

More than two million Australian consumers were shown the misleading cancellation warning.

Singapore’s widely-used taxi booking app has got a new look, with new services to boot. ComfortDelGro’s taxi booking app has been relaunched as CDG Zig as part of the Group’s plan to bring together its core land transport solutions, whilst making it easier for customers to gain access to the various services that it has on a single platform.

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Image credit: ComfortDelGro

GLOBAL NEWS

TIER Mobility and Denmark's largest taxi company, Dantaxi, have entered a unique technology collaboration to reduce the number of people riding electric bikes (e-bikes) under the influence of alcohol. Image credit: DanTaxi

LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company) announced their further growth in its European commercial vehicle network, with the launch of new dealerships in Latvia and Belgium. Latvia’s Mūsa Motors, based in central Riga, will offer customers complete sales and aftersales services of the LEVC TX electric taxi and VN5 van. The company’s European dealership network grew further, with the appointment of Celis Group, based in Belgium’s northeastern Limburg province.

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Image credit: LEVC Image credit: LEVC

The unique collaboration between the two transport companies has come about after TIER entered the Copenhagen market for shared bicycles in the month of March. As a result of the agreement, active users of the TIER app will be, between 10pm and 5am, Thursday to Sunday, asked if they have been drinking alcohol - if they reply with "yes" then they will be referred to Dantaxis app and clearly instructed not to return home using a TIER e-bike. Commercial Director of Dantaxi, Vibeke Wolfsberg, said: “Every weekend, Dantaxi's drivers transport tens of thousands of people from Copenhagen, to and from the city, but new forms of mobility, such as sharing bicycles and electric scooters, can tempt young people, in particular, to drive under the influence of alcohol, and that is an unfortunate development.”

TRAINING

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MAY 2022 - Edition 37

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MAY 2022 - Edition 37

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The FixiCover Driver Shield is an in-car partition that separates drivers from their passengers and serves as a sneeze guard. Find out more here.

MAY 2022 - Edition 37